Just one thing: 22 September 2025
Sep. 21st, 2025 09:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzyjj posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Nature
Sep. 21st, 2025 07:47 pmysabetwordsmithNew study finds exercising outdoors is 'superior' to the gym or city: 'Our brain loves nature'
A major finding is that exercise in nature provided far greater mental benefits than urban and indoor environments, with participants reporting much higher levels of joy, calm, satisfaction, and optimism after working out in the outdoors.
On a physiological level, researchers measured that the participants’ heart rates dropped more quickly after a walk in nature. Additionally, heart rate variability, which shows how well the body’s nervous system goes into recovery, was 20-30% higher than the indoor walk.
Participants also reported lower levels of anxiety, irritation, and boredom after exercising in nature. Boredom levels actually increased after walking indoors, the researchers shared.
( Read more... )
A major finding is that exercise in nature provided far greater mental benefits than urban and indoor environments, with participants reporting much higher levels of joy, calm, satisfaction, and optimism after working out in the outdoors.
On a physiological level, researchers measured that the participants’ heart rates dropped more quickly after a walk in nature. Additionally, heart rate variability, which shows how well the body’s nervous system goes into recovery, was 20-30% higher than the indoor walk.
Participants also reported lower levels of anxiety, irritation, and boredom after exercising in nature. Boredom levels actually increased after walking indoors, the researchers shared.
( Read more... )
Stones and structures
Sep. 21st, 2025 10:18 pmcosmolinguistSadly V wasn't well enough to go out with us today, but D and I went to see the Calanais standing stones and the broch Dùn Carloway.
Things so old, no one knows why they're like they were. Why use so much timber in a place with so few trees? Why build it so high?
The broch is 2000 years old and the stones were put there 5000 years ago, longer ago than the time since. And no one knows quite why. These things that will seem precious and exotic to the people on the big cruise ships that dock at Stornoway are so ordinary to the locals that V told me about a house they nearly bought when they lived on the island that had some standing stones on the property so one of the things to be aware of is that people might inadvertently wander through your yard.
Once when my parents were visiting, my mom gushed on the train back from Chester (I think, unless it was York) how neat it is that Ing-ga-land has all this hiss-tree until she said something like "We don't have anything like this at home" and I couldn't help but say something about how that was because of the genocide and colonialization. She changed the subject then.
I had to learn about things like Cahokia all by myself, we didn't get that in school!
vital functions
Sep. 21st, 2025 08:22 pmkaberett[... sorry about the template, I hit return in the title field and IT POSTED. details to appear shortly. :-p]
Reading. ( Ann Leckie, Monty Lyman, Ronald Melzack & Patrick D. Wall )
Writing. ... I have actually put some more notes into The Document.
So many lost property e-mails. (And at some point I'm going to need to start replying to them, too.)
Watching. On YouTube: True Facts: Bats, The Science Of The Hunt. NSFW. Definitely... An Experience.
Cooking. ... yeah no I managed to make veg spag bol on Friday but otherwise we've mostly just been feeling faintly sorry for ourselves. Okay, no, that's not quite true, I did also achieve baked potato on Wednesday.
Eating. Misc takeaway from The Field (leftover Sunday night curry for dinner on Tuesday; leftover vegetable fried rice + Szechuan tofu for breakfast on same...). I remain mildly resentful that the Wagamama menu still does not contain any of My Favourites.
Growing. The second attempt at pineapple has NEW LEAVES. The second attempt at lemongrass is maybe Going? And other than that I have no idea because I have spectacularly failed to make it to the plot this week.
Observing. BATS. A variety of excellent dahlias and passion flowers on a Trip To Town (post office, pharmacy).
Birdfeeding
Sep. 21st, 2025 02:12 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and hot.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I watered the old picnic table, irises, patio plants, and a few more around the house yard.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I watered the new picnic table, septic garden, telephone pole garden, and a few of the savanna seedlings.
Cicadas and crickets are singing.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I watered the old picnic table, irises, patio plants, and a few more around the house yard.
EDIT 9/21/25 -- I watered the new picnic table, septic garden, telephone pole garden, and a few of the savanna seedlings.
Cicadas and crickets are singing.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Culinary
Sep. 21st, 2025 07:46 pmoursinLast week's bread became really, really, dry, so I made a loaf of Shipton Mill Three Malts and Sunflower Organic Brown Flour: very nice.
Friday night supper: the ersatz Thai fried rice with red bell pepper, chorizo and salsiccon salami.
Saturday breakfast rolls: basic buttermilk, 3:1 strong white/rye flour, turned out very well.
Today's lunch: lemon sole fillets, which I cooked more or less as for the whole soles here - slightly shorter time and lower oven temperature, also sploshed a little wine in; served with La Ratte potatoes roasted in beef dripping, spinach according to recipe in Dharamjit Singh's Indian Cookery, and warm green bean and fennel salad (I included a little chopped red onion as there was one left over from last week as well as the fennel, and added additional tarragon to the dressing).
Just one thing: 21 September 2025
Sep. 21st, 2025 12:20 pmjazzyjj posting in awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Holy
Sep. 21st, 2025 11:20 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
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Today's News:
Photo cross-post
Sep. 21st, 2025 10:25 amandrewducker
We went up the hill. There were roses. Nobody knows why. Gideon has
theories involving dead people.
Original
is here on Pixelfed.scot.
Question thread #144
Sep. 21st, 2025 03:34 pmpauamma posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_devIt's past time for another question thread!
The rules:
- You may ask any dev-related question you have in a comment. (It doesn't even need to be about Dreamwidth, although if it involves a language/library/framework/database Dreamwidth doesn't use, you will probably get answers pointing that out and suggesting a better place to ask.)
- You may also answer any question, using the guidelines given in To Answer, Or Not To Answer and in this comment thread.
The rules:
- You may ask any dev-related question you have in a comment. (It doesn't even need to be about Dreamwidth, although if it involves a language/library/framework/database Dreamwidth doesn't use, you will probably get answers pointing that out and suggesting a better place to ask.)
- You may also answer any question, using the guidelines given in To Answer, Or Not To Answer and in this comment thread.
Interesting Links for 21-09-2025
Sep. 21st, 2025 12:00 pmandrewducker- 1. EU Data Act — What Businesses Need to Know (no more lock-in!)
- (tags:Europe data regulation )
- 2. Troubles legacy: Mixed reaction to UK-Ireland deal on addressing cases
- (tags:UK Ireland )
- 3. Visa holders on vacation have 15 hours to return to US or pay $100k fee
- (tags:USA migration OhForFucksSake )
- 4. Goebbels Ends Careers of Five 'Aryan' Actors Who Made Witticisms About the Nazi Regime (a headline from 1939)
- (tags:nazis censorship society history )
- 5. We have invented the vibroblade! (The World's First Ultrasonic Chef's Knife for Home Cooks)
- (tags:Technology knife video )
In which lolibobs took an early bath
Sep. 21st, 2025 11:35 amspiralsheepRead book 92. Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach, 1970, a fable, as the characters are literally seagulls, about how the Flock are inspired by joining an obsessive flying-and-starving cult that it would be insulting all round to describe as Buddhism-lite-for-libertarian-Christians. It gave me the feeling of a late 60s hippy cult trying to manifest, and very much Of Its Time as it was written 1967 ish (at last, a realistic use for the phrase "of its time"). Not my thing / out of five, but I can understand why some people find it interesting or useful in the same way people can find inspiration in bland self-help platitudes or undemanding mass-market spirituality, because the inspiration is contributed by the reader (or their Genius / Juno / whatever).
However, remember that the unexamined life is definitely worth living: look at dogs! Be honest, reincarnation as a domestic dog or a wild seagull? Dogs, innit.
However, remember that the unexamined life is definitely worth living: look at dogs! Be honest, reincarnation as a domestic dog or a wild seagull? Dogs, innit.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8
If binary choice reincarnation was compulsory?
View Answers
Wild seagull (Larus unspecifica)
2 (28.6%)
Domestic dog (Canis familiaris)
2 (28.6%)
Nope, not even for a humorous poll
3 (42.9%)
Abominations unto Nuggan?
View Answers
Seagulls!
1 (12.5%)
Lumping gull species together as "seagulls".
7 (87.5%)
Seagull-proofed bins. /typing with talons
1 (12.5%)
All sneaky chip thieves, actually.
3 (37.5%)
(Not dogs because even Nuggan would never!)
2 (25.0%)
Cyberspace Theory
Sep. 20th, 2025 11:27 pmysabetwordsmithProtect your peace: How to avoid disturbing content on social media
Social media platforms are designed to maximize engagement, not protect your peace of mind. The major platforms have also reduced their content moderation efforts over the past year or so. That means upsetting content can reach you even when you never chose to watch it.
You do not have to watch every piece of content that crosses your screen, however. Protecting your own mental state is not avoidance or denial.
( Read more... )
Social media platforms are designed to maximize engagement, not protect your peace of mind. The major platforms have also reduced their content moderation efforts over the past year or so. That means upsetting content can reach you even when you never chose to watch it.
You do not have to watch every piece of content that crosses your screen, however. Protecting your own mental state is not avoidance or denial.
( Read more... )
Guardian fic: Experiments in Dynamic Translation (CSZ/SW, CSZ/SW/ZYL)
Sep. 21st, 2025 04:49 pmchina_shopI posted my unexpected-kink fic for the Riddle round of fan_flashworks, and today I archived it to AO3. It's part of my Breakage and Repair 'verse which is Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives (mostly), Canon Divergence, but all you really need to know is that it's early-relationship Chu Shuzhi/Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan.
Title: Experiments in Dynamic Translation (9003 words) [Explicit]
Relationships: Chu Shuzhi/Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, Chu Shuzhi/Hei Pao Shi
Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Relationships with complicated history, Being closeted in some spheres, Domestic, Unplanned/Impromptu Kink, Identity Porn (literal), Dom/sub, soft D/s, Dom!Shen Wei, Envoy!Shen Wei, Sub!Chu Shuzhi, (Zhao Yunlan enjoys the show), Fealty, Orgasm denial/delay, Dark-Energy Sex Toys, Low-key impromptu bondage, Dixing-Powers Powered Sex, Anal Sex, Voyeurism, Frottage, Long Hair
Summary:
As I said in my end notes, it’s hilarious to me that my first E-rated fic in this ‘verse is something I usually DNW (D/s, especially when it leans into existing power dynamics). For some reason, it worked for me in this specific scenario.
fan_flashworks, and today I archived it to AO3. It's part of my Breakage and Repair 'verse which is Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives (mostly), Canon Divergence, but all you really need to know is that it's early-relationship Chu Shuzhi/Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan.Title: Experiments in Dynamic Translation (9003 words) [Explicit]
Relationships: Chu Shuzhi/Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, Chu Shuzhi/Hei Pao Shi
Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Relationships with complicated history, Being closeted in some spheres, Domestic, Unplanned/Impromptu Kink, Identity Porn (literal), Dom/sub, soft D/s, Dom!Shen Wei, Envoy!Shen Wei, Sub!Chu Shuzhi, (Zhao Yunlan enjoys the show), Fealty, Orgasm denial/delay, Dark-Energy Sex Toys, Low-key impromptu bondage, Dixing-Powers Powered Sex, Anal Sex, Voyeurism, Frottage, Long Hair
Summary:
It’s been just over ten weeks since his and Da Qing’s return to the land of the living, and in that time, Shen Wei has not yet had occasion to don his robes of office in front of Shuzhi—or indeed, to conduct any Envoy business at all in his presence. He’s visited the SID once or twice on official matters, but only in Haixing clothes, and he’s been sure to keep his manner light and casual in the public areas. Formal liaising is for the privacy of Zhao Yunlan’s office.
Now, faced with the prospect of a Dixing state dinner, Shen Wei discovers he’s slipped into—not so much keeping secrets, as compartmentalising. Again.
As I said in my end notes, it’s hilarious to me that my first E-rated fic in this ‘verse is something I usually DNW (D/s, especially when it leans into existing power dynamics). For some reason, it worked for me in this specific scenario.
Creative Jam
Sep. 20th, 2025 11:24 pmysabetwordsmithThe September crowdfunding Creative Jam is open with a theme of "Journalism." Come give us prompts, or choose some for your own inspiration.
What I Have Written
From My Prompts
crowdfunding Creative Jam is open with a theme of "Journalism." Come give us prompts, or choose some for your own inspiration. What I Have Written
From My Prompts
Neurodiversity
Sep. 20th, 2025 09:26 pmysabetwordsmithThe Science Finally Catches Up: New Research Confirms ADHD as an Evolutionary Advantage, Not a Disease
For over three decades, I’ve been saying what the medical establishment didn’t want to hear: ADHD isn’t a disease, disorder, or defect. It’s an inherited trait that served our hunter-gatherer ancestors well for hundreds of thousands of years—and continues to benefit many people today. Now, groundbreaking research is finally proving what I’ve long called the “hunters in a farmer’s world” theory.
The latest study, published in the prestigious Proceedings of the Royal Society B just a few months ago, provides compelling experimental evidence that people with ADHD traits are superior foragers. Using an ingenious online berry-picking game, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that participants who scored high for ADHD characteristics consistently outperformed their neurotypical counterparts at gathering resources—exactly what we’d expect from evolved hunters suddenly dropped into sedentary, agricultural societies.
( Read more... )
For over three decades, I’ve been saying what the medical establishment didn’t want to hear: ADHD isn’t a disease, disorder, or defect. It’s an inherited trait that served our hunter-gatherer ancestors well for hundreds of thousands of years—and continues to benefit many people today. Now, groundbreaking research is finally proving what I’ve long called the “hunters in a farmer’s world” theory.
The latest study, published in the prestigious Proceedings of the Royal Society B just a few months ago, provides compelling experimental evidence that people with ADHD traits are superior foragers. Using an ingenious online berry-picking game, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that participants who scored high for ADHD characteristics consistently outperformed their neurotypical counterparts at gathering resources—exactly what we’d expect from evolved hunters suddenly dropped into sedentary, agricultural societies.
( Read more... )
Books
Sep. 20th, 2025 07:28 pmysabetwordsmithAuthor outfits old pickup truck to be traveling banned bookstore: 'A rolling rebellion in the Deep South'
The work she’s doing now? Converting a rusty 1940 Ford pickup truck into a traveling banned bookstore. She calls it “The Banned Wagon.”
“I was originally thinking of opening a regular bookstore, but after the fight over banning books in Fairhope, I was inspired to go this route instead,” Fugett shared with the Alabama Political Reporter.
Her goal with The Banned Wagon is to put banned and challenged books “back into the hands of the people who need them the most.” That includes LGBTQ+ youth, and other marginalized communities. But Fugett also knows that everyone needs access to books that challenge their worldview.
This is a replicable tactic for dealing with censorship.
Another option is to stash diverse titles in Little Free Libraries, in BookCrossing, in any swap shelf you see, and so on. Poke a bigot in the eye, share banned books! Here are some ideas.
The work she’s doing now? Converting a rusty 1940 Ford pickup truck into a traveling banned bookstore. She calls it “The Banned Wagon.”
“I was originally thinking of opening a regular bookstore, but after the fight over banning books in Fairhope, I was inspired to go this route instead,” Fugett shared with the Alabama Political Reporter.
Her goal with The Banned Wagon is to put banned and challenged books “back into the hands of the people who need them the most.” That includes LGBTQ+ youth, and other marginalized communities. But Fugett also knows that everyone needs access to books that challenge their worldview.
This is a replicable tactic for dealing with censorship.
Another option is to stash diverse titles in Little Free Libraries, in BookCrossing, in any swap shelf you see, and so on. Poke a bigot in the eye, share banned books! Here are some ideas.